Wolves at the Door

Reviews / Votes

Arnds' fascinating book delves into the unsettling nexus of migration, biopolitics and discursive myth-making. He explores the enduring presence of an image turned metaphor that resurfaces in multiple narratives of hatred, oppression and discrimination. His scholarly prose is both knowledgeable and deeply committed. * Galin Tihanov, George Steiner Professor of Comparative Literature, Queen Mary University of London, UK * This fascinating, wide-ranging study explores the complex relationship between humans and wolves from ancient times to the present day, showing how the image of the untameable wolf has been appropriated for different ideological purposes. Wolves may be feared by some, occasionally even pitied, but for others they hold a darker symbolic meaning of absolute power. This book invites readers to think again about the significance of wolves in Western cultural history. * Susan Bassnett, Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Glasgow, UK * This is a book that casts new light on the discussion of the migrant and refugee crisis, and will be of widespread interest well beyond academic circles. Its interdisciplinary character at the intersection of world literature and ecocriticism, but also political and cultural theory, philosophy, and psychology will guarantee its widespread reception. It is comprehensive in its coverage of the various corners of the globe where wolves are part of the cultural consciousness. * Tabish Khair, critic, novelist, and professor at Aarhus University, Denmark * Arnds is one of those rare scholars who can write a readerly text. In the present context of heightened nationalist tensions, he analyses how wolf myths are enacted across a wide range of contemporary political landscapes where mythical stories, folklore and imagery are used by political movements to strengthen populist, tribal and nationalist sentiments and to dehumanize and scapegoat minority groups. This is cultural studies at its best in the fluidity with which it moves across history, from high to popular culture, and from close reading to insightful political analysis. A tour de force. * Jennifer Rutherford, Professor Sociology and Literature, Adelaide University, Australia *